Currently I am in UK where electricity is 230V / 50Hz and all my tools are so rated.
We are looking to move to a country with 120V / 60Hz electricity.
So what do I do with all the 230V stuff? White goods - no issue - just replace. Some of my tools are autoswitching, such as the cordless chargers so wont be a problem. But what of the rest? My current thinking is sell all tools and rebuy as spares will not be an issue and local market products may be easier to sell on as and when - but that is going to cost a load in depreciation.
These are mostly woodworking tools (routers, drills, extractors) so likely to be used intermittently and in one location and can be up to 2000W each (and obviously the 2000W extractor may be running with 2000W router).
So, I know this may not be the ideal forum, but as it has loads of ingenious members before I sell I thought I would post question asking for what others would do in same situation? Do step-up transformers exist? Generate?
Thanks for any ideas,
J
I suppose I can't be sure it's the same in all other 120V countries, but in the US houses are wired with two 120V feeds that are 180 degrees out of phase with each other (In other words +120V and -120V) relative to a third "neutral" wire. Houses here will have multiple 120V circuits, each wired between the neutral and one or the other of the 120V legs. Additionally, houses here will also have one or more 240V circuits, wired between the two 120V legs, to run larger appliances such as clothes dryers, ovens, well pumps, central air systems, etc.
As far as getting the correct voltage to your tools goes, it's simply a matter of adding some 240V circuits and adding the appropriate recepticles in the room(s) where you'll use them.
The frequency is another story. Whether your tools will work with 60Hz versus 50Hz depends on the type of motor they use. Most hand tools (such as your router) will use a so-called "universal" motor. Universal motors are relatively small and light for the amount of horsepower they generate. The down-side is that they tend to be very, very loud. This is because there is physical contact between the stator and the commutator (via the brushes). These parts rub on each other as the motor spins in order to maintain an electrical connection and switch the magnetic field back and forth. Besides their light weight, one nice thing about universal motors is that the speed is dependent only on the voltage. They can operate off AC (equally well at 50Hz or 60Hz) or even DC.
Larger stationary tools such as drill-presses, table-saws, lathes, etc., on the other hand, usually use "induction" motors. These motors tend to be much heavier and quieter (sometimes nearly silent in their operation). Induction motors are driven entirely without physical contact between the stator and the commutator. The electrical current in the commutator is induced by the changing magnetic field generated by the alternating current in the stator. If you change the frequency of the driving current, you will affect not only the rotational speed of the motor, but also the amount of current generated/consumed within the motor. This is because an AC current changing 20% faster (60 Hz vs. 50 Hz), will generate a magnetic field that is 20% more intense.
The long and short of it is, your 50Hz equipment with induction motors will run somewhat faster than it currently does and will generate more torque as well. These aren't necessarily bad things, but the price you'll pay is that the motors will draw more current and generate more heat. Many motors are designed to run at either frequency (and will usually be labelled as such); and most others are over-engineered enough that they'll work just fine with only a 20% increase in frequency. However, their lifetime may be somewhat shortened.
I use a 240V/50Hz vacuum pump for my veneer press that I was able to buy for a really low price here in the US. I plug it into 240V/60Hz and it runs just great. If I only get 20 years out of it instead of 30, it'll still be money well spent.
So to summarize, assuming the system in the country you're moving to is similar to the US, you should be able to wire up 240V recepticles and use your portable equipment with no problem. Your stationary stuff will likely run with a little more speed and power, but may die a somewhat earlier death than it otherwise would (at which point you can simply buy a replacement 60Hz motor for it).
If it were me, I'd keep the equipment I have and give it a try. Good luck!
